My mod thread: 07 for towing & long distance travel

[Martinjmpr]

NOTE: I deleted my other "build thread" when I realized I'd already started a build thread. My apologies for any confusion caused by this. I have tried to cut/paste the comments from the other thread into this one.

I figured it's probably time for me to go ahead and start my mod thread, since I've done a few mods already with more in the works.

My 4runner is not my daily driver (DD.) I have a beater 97 Mazda Protege for that. The uses for the 4runner are:

1. Get me around in snow and other inclement weather we have here in CO
2. Pull our 1200lb teardrop trailer to campsites around the country and
3. Mild "expedition" type travel (i.e., long distances in remote areas with varying road conditions from highway to rough 4wd trail.)

My first "mod" was to add a trailer hitch reciever since my 07 V6 SR5 did not come with one. I went with a U-Haul because they are close to where I live and the price was better than anything else I saw:

Since the teardrop only has a 4 wire connector, I ran an adapter from the 4runner's factory equipped 7-wire round to a 4 wire flat, and zip-tied it in place:

Eventually the trailer will be converted to a 7 wire and the adapter will go away.

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

[Martinjmpr]

Part 2: Scangauge and cup holder hack...

Next mod was to install the Scangauge II, put a temporary block in the cup holder tray and put in decent floor mats.

The scangauge wasn't really "installed", more like "plug and play." I used velcro to mount it to the steering column housing, where it's easily visible and doesn't block anything I need to see.

I have it set using the X-gauge features that allow it to display distance to empty, average MPG, instant MPG and transmission temperature.

As for the cup holder, you can read about that here.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/119171-first-mod-cup-holder-hack.html

Not pretty, but it works. Eventually I'll replace it with the factory part.

No pics of the floor mats (yet) but they are Husky Floor Liners in gray to match the interior. I had Husky liners in my 3rd gen (99) as well and really liked them.

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

[bimmage]

Awesome rig! But for the love of god, get rid of that grandma steering wheel cover.

 

[zonianbrat]

Awesome rig! But for the love of god, get rid of that grandma steering wheel cover.

X2 Reminds me of my uncle's old arse Dodge Dart with no floor boards!:lookout:

 

[Martinjmpr]

Steering wheel cover...

Sorry, no fringed Hello Kitty steering wheel cover for me (or whatever it is you kids are using these days.) :nerd:

The factory steering wheel is too smooth and slippery - I need something to grip. And BTW, I've put those steering wheel covers on every car I've owned since 1985.

get rid of that grandma steering wheel cover.

Here's a picture of my new granddaughter:

:rockthrow:

 

[Martinjmpr]

Next: Running board "lift" and seat covers...

I've never really liked the running boards on the 4runner, they just don't work for me (I'm 6'1" and don't really need them) and of course they are prone to get damaged when going off road. So, they had to go.

Before:

..aaand after. Much nicer, I think:

I call this the "no-buck running board lift" because it makes the truck look like it sits higher (also makes it look less like a mini-van!)

Next came seat covers. I'm a big believer in seat covers, even cheap ones, because they help preserve the seats when it's time to sell. IMO nothing makes a vehicle look and feel "older" than having nasty, stained, worn out seat covers. So even a set of wal-mart cheapies that protect the factory covers from spills and excessive wear are a good idea.

So here's the "before" pic with the baggy Wal-mart cheap covers.

I've always wanted a nice set of custom made, fitted seat covers and now that I have the $$ to get them, I decided to get exactly what I wanted. I checked out both Marathon and GT Covers (GT is a local company) and ultimately went with the Marathon covers, even though they were a bit more expensive (by about $50.) However, the reason I went with them was that I saw some at a trade show and was very impressed by the quality of the material, as well as the multiple options for pockets.

Another factor was the camo pattern I wanted (3 color desert camo, same thing I wore in both Afghanistan and Kuwait) was only available from Marathon (although GT offered both Woodland camo and Army Digital pattern.)

Marathon covers are not only expensive, they take a long time to arrive, about 8 weeks. I ordered mine in mid-July and finally got them the 2nd week of September.

Because the covers are fitted, they come in 3 piece sets for each seat (seat bottom, seat back and headrest.)

Installation was pretty easy. The backs slip right over (after removing the headrests, of course) and the seams are lined up perfectly:

After that the bottoms go on, and each seat cover has little "cutouts" for the seat controls.

They look a bit wrinkled in these photos but that's because they're new and I hadn't smoothed them out yet. They look really good and feel great.

Also, no more static electric shock when getting out!

Next up will come the BIG changes, though that probably won't be until towards the end of the month. But here's a hint: It involves these:

and these

and these

Stay tuned...

 

[bimmage]

Just came back to this post and noticed something....

Did you steal a National Forest sign and now its in your front lawn?

 

[riceandpho]

Do yourvseats have airbags in them? I suggest u cut a hole on the sides of the cover to allow it to work, just make it look like the wet okoles, they have cutouts for airbags.

 

[Gerdo]

I see one picture with your woody TD in the background. Do you go to any of the local gatherings? Are you on a TD forum? I'm not sure I have seen yours around.

Edit. Found you and bubbles on tnttt. I think I need to see more pictures.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Suspension: DONE!

FJC Trail Teams suspension is ON. I got a set of TT front and rear coils and front shocks from a guy over on ExPo: Adventure and Overland Travel Enthusiasts, and then bought a set of Bilstien 5100's for the rear.

No pics yet (will get them this weekend) but my preliminary measurement indicates about 1" lift all around - which is pretty much what I wanted (I didn't go with any spacers.) Still has a bit of a rake towards the front but that's OK - I pull a trailer (homemade teardrop) so a rake will help me ride level when the trailer is hooked up.

I took a bunch of pics on Saturday before the lift and will try to take the same pics this weekend for the "after" shots so a comparison can be made.

So far the ride seems very nice. A little nicer than before, but maybe that's my wallet talking to me! No change in handling.

I also managed to pick up a set of FJC black steelies and some BFG MTs. However, given that we have just gotten our first big snowstorm of the year, the MTs won't be going on for a while (current tires on my stock wheels are Cooper Discoverer M+S, and seem to do very well in the snow.)

Mods already done: Trailer hitch installed, Running boards removed, Husky floor liners, Scangauge II mounted above steering wheel, Marathon Desert Camouflage seat covers, 12v "Constant Power" mod (for my fridge ) and of course my awesome Cup Holder hack!

Future plans include a simple sleeping platform (for solo camping when I'm not pulling the trailer), AT cooler (again, because of the trailer), and probably a better head unit for the stereo. Also need to install my 2m mobile radio and get antennas for both the 2m and the CB.

Will post pics when I get the chance...

PS: Have to say I'm still loving the 4th gen. It was hard to get rid of my 3rd gen, that was an awesome vehicle, but the additional power, better MPG, bigger fuel tank, quieter ride and overall more feature-laden vehicle makes my '07 the best vehicle I've ever owned. Plus, multi-mode 4wd is awesome!

 

[Martinjmpr]

As a teaser, here are the "before" pictures from last Saturday:

I'll try to post the "after" pictures with the truck posed the same way for comparison. Measurements were taken at the wheel well immediately above the wheel hub on all 4 corners and at the bottom of the trailer hitch.

 

[Martinjmpr]

And here are the "after" pics.

Measurements: Measurements were taken at the wheel well with a 48" metal ruler set flat to the ground, and were taken by putting the center line of the ruler along the center line of the wheel. An additional measurement was taken from the ground to the bottom of the trailer hitch.

Before:

LF 32.875 (32 7/8)
LR 35.875 (35 7/8)
RR 35.5
RF 33.25
TH 15.00

After:

LF 33.75
LR 35.75
RR 36.5
RF 34.25
TH 15.375 (15 3/8)

So, not a huge lift, an inch on the right side, a little less on the left. The ride does seem nicer, and I should have no problems fitting the 255/75/17 tires/wheels (FJC Steelies) that I got (though currently my 16's will stay on because the Cooper Discoverers are much better than the BFG MTs in snow.)

 

[Martinjmpr]

Even though the pictures don't really do much justice to the upgrade you made, the stuff you added sounds like it should improve performance quite a bit. Did you do any of the work yourself, i.e. do you have any pictures from during the procedure?

I had the work done by Rock Rash Engineering in Aurora, CO. I didn't feel competent to do such a swap by myself.

Rear shocks are Bilstien 5100's, bought new, front shocks are the Bilstien/Toyota shocks that came on the FJC Trail Teams model.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I noticed you have before measurements on here. What brand tires do you have on there with them pictures. I didn't take stock height measures on mine before I started to play and been doing some diffrent mods in the rear after a spacer lift. Getting ready to convert over to coil lift now and don't want to get to much out there myself. THX.

Tires are the ones that were on it when I bought it in June, Cooper Discoverer M+S on factory 16" alloy wheels. Current tire size is 265/70/16 (stock size.)

My "off road" tires (which will go on in the spring) are BFG MT's in 255/75/17 on a set of black FJC Steel wheels. Now normally I'm not a fan of MTs (for the kind of off-roading I do, ATs generally work better) but the guy who was selling the wheels had the tires on them already with about 50% or more of their tread, so I'm going to use them at least until and unless they prove themselves to be bad for me.

If I get really bored some weekend I might get the floor jack out and put the MTs on there just to see what they look like, and then take them right off. But the Cooper's will be the main tire until snow season is done - they seem to be awesome in the snow so I really want to keep them on as long as any kind of snow is a possibility.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Just came back to this post and noticed something....

Did you steal a National Forest sign and now its in your front lawn?

Well,

(a) It's in the back yard, not the front

(b) My wife had it when we first started dating and

(c) If there's one thing I've learned as a married man, it's don't ask a question unless you're sure you want to know the answer. :

 

[Martinjmpr]

Do yourvseats have airbags in them? I suggest u cut a hole on the sides of the cover to allow it to work, just make it look like the wet okoles, they have cutouts for airbags.

No, no RSCA on my 4runner. I didn't want it. Marathon does make seat covers that are RSCA-approved, though. Like the Wet Okoles, they have velcro-covered slits in the side to allow the bag to deploy.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I see one picture with your woody TD in the background. Do you go to any of the local gatherings? Are you on a TD forum? I'm not sure I have seen yours around.

Edit. Found you and bubbles on tnttt. I think I need to see more pictures.

We have gone to a couple of TD gatherings, the Jefferson State birthday party in Oregon back in June (in my 99 t4r) and the Walk the Winds gathering in Wyoming in August (in my 07 t4r.) Had a great time at both gatherings and got a lot of great ideas. My wife actually knows Pam from the Rocky Mountain chapter from a job she had years ago.

We've taken Bubbles out 6 times this year: To Carter Lake in March, Buena Vista in April, Idaho/Oregon/California and Nevada in June, Durango in July, Granby in August and Albuquerque in October (for the big Balloon Festival.) We are loving the Teardrop camping lifestyle!

I don't have a lot of photos posted up yet. We've had her almost a year and have done a lot of decoration and modification of the interior. Here are some old shots from last year.

This is when we first picked her up in my old (99) T4R. You can get an idea of her size from the comparison with my truck.

Here are some other random shots:

The dog thinks it's her personal rolling doghouse:

We have big plans for Bubbles in the coming year. I want to remove the old, heavy Dayton axle and replace it with a lighter trailer axle that uses conventional wheels. I also want to find a way to put 12v electrical power in there. Venting needs to be done and the crappy Home Depot hinges need to be replaced with something both rugged and waterproof. Another coat of Poly is probably in order, too.

Hey, I see you're in Littleton - any idea where I can get a trailer weighed? I want to get a good before/after weight. Right now I think the weight is around 1200lbs, but that's based on what the builder told me so I'm not sure. It's definitely a heavy sum*****, though. That's one of the main reasons I switched from my beloved 3rd gen to a 4th.

 

[having fun]

Thanks, looks like the same size tires of 30.5. Helps me a lot, been doing the lift mods and changing thing, will be changing the front in a couple of months to handle the new bumper also. Mines just a dd and play toy, not bought to look pretty to go over the summits as I tell people. Don't mind it getting all scratch up. LOL.

Will be putting up posting when I get the front finished, pictures included as I can do this work myself. Great looking 4runner there. Those seat covers are they side air bag setups?

 

[having fun]

Just seen your post, answer my ? Thx.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Another mod...

Didn't want this to get lost in the shuffle. I did the "constant power" mod for the 12v power outlets front and rear:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/128096-x-post-constant-power-12v-outlets-done.html

Since I have a fridge, this was an important mod for me.